Dr Ghulam Muhammad Burfat has been removed as the head of the criminology department at the University of Karachi (KU) and Dr Farah Iqbal from the department of psychology has been appointed as the department head in his place.
Dr Burfat has been dismissed on the recommendation of the KU's harassment committee.
A female teaching staff of the criminology department had accused him of harassment last year, following which the case was referred to the harassment committee.
After the committee recommended his removal, an official notification was issued for his dismissal and the appointment of Dr Iqbal as the head of the criminology department.
Confirming this development, KU vice-chancellor Dr Khalid Mahmood Iraqi said the three-member harassment committee, comprising faculty of art dean Dr Nasreen Aslam Shah, KU teachers' association president Shah Aliul Qader and KU deputy registrar Zia Shaikh, had also recommended appointing new teachers for the department.
Sources at the KU, who requested anonymity, told The Express Tribune that while the criminology department faced harassment charges, classes at the department for the new academic session, which began on February 22, 2021, were delayed amid mismanagement and a discord between teachers.
According to the sources, the schedule for classes hasn't been issued and the multiple complaints in connection with the matter have been lodged at the office of the dean faculty of art.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 25th, 2021.
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